Sonia, Rahul & Modi to address rallies next week

Election campaigns in state are set to peak next week, when Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi as well as Narendra Modi will embark on visits to various parts of state.

Bangalore |
Updated: April 4, 2014 10:37 am

Election campaigns in the state are set to peak next week, when Congress president Sonia Gandhi, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi as well as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi will embark on visits to various parts of the state, including Kolar, Dharwad, Bellary as well as Mangalore to address massive rallies.

Addressing a press gathering at the Congress office in Bangalore on Thursday, G Parameshwar, president of KPCC, said Sonia Gandhi will visit Kolar and Dharwad to address campaign meetings on April 8.

Modi will be in Karnataka on the same day for a party rally at Chikkaballapur, one of the most-watched constituencies in the state this election season.

Parameshwar added that Rahul Gandhi, who is set to address meetings at Bellary and Mangalore on Friday, will return to the state on April 7 to lead rallies at Chikkodi, Raichur and Bangalore Central. Details of the programme are yet to be finalised.

Parameshwar on Thursday also expressed remorse over his barb at HD Devegowda where he had referred to the JD(S) leader’s remarks that he would consume poison if his party didn’t come to power in the last Assembly elections.

Parameshwar had said on Wednesday that Devegowda is yet to consume poison despite the JD(S)’s failure to come to power.

“I am waiting to see when he will consume poison,” he had said. A day later, he retracted his comment, which has been criticised by the media and politicians.

“I did not use any unparliamentary words in my comment. I just cited Devegowda’s statement. I have a lot of respect for Devegowda, as he is a senior politician and the only prime minister from Karnataka,” Parameshwar said on Thursday at the Congress party office.